Feed-mixer.



E. I. EEEEY.

EEED MIXER. APPLIOATIOE FILED MAE as, 1910.

986,553. Patented Mar.14,1911.`

@NRM/Leones flirt" FRANK I. DERBY, OF GASTON, ALABAMA.

FEED-MIXER.

Specification of LettersPatent. Appnetion ,filed may 2s, 1910.

Patented Mar.

14h 1911. serial- No. 563,991.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK I. Dnnnx, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Gaston, in the county of Sumter and State ofAlalnunafhave invented certain new and useful Improvements inFeed-BIixers, of which the following is a specitcation.

My present invention relates to improvements in mixing machines and moiyespeciall-y to those adapted for the mixing of feed, and it has for itsobject 'primarily to provide an improved mixing machine of thischaracter which is capable of receiving intbulk the different materialsto be mixed, and feeding such materials in predetermined proportions toa combined mixing and discharge conveyer, such conveyer in the preferredembodiment of the invention being ofth'e screw or vorm type and havingits iglits notched and also being equipped with intervening blades orpaddles which have a reverse pitch with respect to the pitch of theconveyer iights, whereby the different materials are not only advancedby such conveyer, but they are subjected during such advancing movementto a thorough mixing. action.

Another objectof the invention is t'opro-A vide a novel arrangement forthe operating elements whereby a compact structure is obtained and toform a feed section upon the mixing conveyer to feed one of thematerials thereto, and to provide a second conveyer for feeding anotherkind of material, ,the second conveyer having its shaft extended andequipped with agitators which serve to prevent'bridging or banking ofthe material which is fed to the feed section of the mixing conveyor.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements,and combinations and arrangements of parts, alf as will be hereinaftermore fully described, the novel features being pointed out particularlyin the claims at the end of the speciication. Y.

In the accompanying drawing zFigure 1 represents a central verticalsection of a mixing machine constructed in accordance with 50,myinvention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the machine as viewed from' theright in [Fig l; and Fig. 3 is a detail view of a section of the mixingconveyeri Similar parts are designatedby the same lreference characters'in the several views.

l My present invent-ion provides a mixing machine which is capable ofuse generally in l mixing in predetermined proportions, ma-

terials of different kinds, although the form shown in the presentinstance may be used to especial advantage in mixing relatively coarseand fine feeds, such for example as meal and cotton seed hulls orproducts.

uIn that' form of the invention shown in the accompanying drawing, themachine comprises a suitable casing or housing. the lower portion ofwhich forms a combined feed and mixing and discharge trough l having adisy charge opening 9., and the upper portion ot' the casing forms arelatively smaller feed trough 3 having a supply hopper t at its forwardend and a discharge opening 5 tor adjacent to its discharge end.

The lower trough l is provided. beyond the discharge opening 5 forV theupper trough. with a supply hopper (i which is preferably of a greatercapacity than the hopper 4 and is adapted to receive the. coarsermaterial.'

The o'wer trough l which serves to feed the coarser material and to mixsuch coarscr material with the finer material, such as meal, anddischarge the mixed materials, contains a conveyer which is of the screwor worm type. its shaft 7 being suitabl;y journaled in the oppositeclosed ends of the trough and serve to advance the materiallongitudinall)r thereof. conveyor which is located in the bottom of thehopper G is preferably plain4 and e1-ves aS a feed section for advancingthe material fronfthis hopper to the mixing portion of the trough. Acheck-board 9 is preferably placed in the trough l at the point wherethis trough joinsthe bottom of the hopper GA for the purpose of insuringa proper Aentrance of the material the mixing portion of the trough 1.

That portion ofthe trough l between the check-board and the outlet Qserves as a mixing chamber. and in order to insure a thorough mixingaction. I provide the peripheral portions of the flights 8 with notchesl() and I also provide a corresponding number of blades or paddles ll.the latter projecting radially fiori the shaft 7 of the conveyor atpoints opposite to the notches 10 so as to act onA the material passingthrough these notches, and these blades or paddles prefertrough and theflights S operate, within the That portion ofthis from the hopper (3 toably have a reverse pitch with respect tothat of the flights in order toslightly retard the flow of the materials and thereby prevent theirAdischarge without thoroughly mixing. l The upper trough 3 contains afeedconveyer 12 which serves to conduct the relatively fine materialsuch as meal, from the. hopper 4to the Outlet or discharge 5,'acheck-board -13'being preferably fitted in this upper trough at thepointwhere it oins the hopper 4. This upperfconveyermay be.

relatively' smaller than the .lower` conveyor "owing to the fact that ithandles a smaller quantity of material, and in ordei| thatv this upperconveyer may feed the material in 'a reverse'direction to the feed ofthe low'er conveyer, its flights have an' opposite pitch. The shaft 14of the upper conveyer is' extended through the hopper and carriesagitating arms 1,5 which serve to prevent l bridging of the coarsermaterial therein.

Any suitable means may be employed for revolving the conveyors at properrelative speeds to secure the desired mixture lof the aredumped'lintothe hoppers l and 6, and t operation 'of 'the conveyors wil]cause the coiiveyeij 12 to supply material from the upper trough to thelower trough through the opening 5 while thefplain section of '45through the opening. l The tw'o materials the lower conveyorwill'conduct material from the `hop per 6 past the check-board -9 andfinto the mixing portion of the lower trough where it meetsthefrnaterial supplied while within the mixing portion of the lowertrough are subjected simultaneously to a thorough mixing action and toan'advancing Inivement,1the mixed material being discharged from themachine through lthe opening 2.

It will be observed that the-flights of conveyer 8 are not notched andthe .paddles 11 are omitted along that portion of the con-- veyer to theright (Fig.` 1) ofthe discharge opening 5. This is on account ofthe factthat-said conveyer'does not perform any mixing function along saidportion.

I claim as niy--inventionz y 1. In a mixing machine, the combination ofa suitable casing forming a trough, and a screw or' worm conveyeroperative in the trough, the conveyer having peripheral portions of its.flights -notched and carrying blades` or paddles positioned opposite tothe notched portions.

2. In a mixing i'nachine, the combination of a suitable trough, and ascrewconveyer operative therein and having notches formed in theperipheral edges of its flights,

and carrying a set of radially -projecting blades located opposite tosa'id notches and having a reverse pitch with respect to that of theconveyer flights.

of acasing forming a trough having a discharge opening toward one endand a sup-- ply hopper toward `its "opposite end, and- .also havingmeans for supplying material thereto at an intermediate point, and ae011-,

vcyei' mounted to operate in said trough,

the portion of the conveyer adjacent to thelioppei serving to feed-material therefrom, and the portion of the conveyor between lthe hopperand the .discharge opening` being provided with mixing devices..

4. In a mixing machine, the combination ofva casing forming a pair ofsdperposed troughs, the loweiftrough having a supply 3, .In a mixingmachine, the combination hopper' at' one end. an outlet at `its oppositeend,.and an opening communicatingtherewith at an intermediate point, theupper trough having oneend to discharge into said intermediate openingrin the lower trough and provided at its'opposite end with a supplyhopper, a conveyor operative in the upper trough and having a revolubleshaft extending into the. lioppei for the lower trough and provided with'agitating devices, and a conveyer mounted tooperate in the lower troughand having a feed portion arranged in the bottom of the supply hopperfpi the lower trough and also having. amixing port-ion operative .in.the lower trough between the intermediate \opening .and its outlet.

In testimony whereof l aflix my signature in presence -ofr-x'twowitnesses.

FRANK I. DERBY; Witnesses;v A

F. .E. Coins.,` WV. J. McCAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents'each, by addressinglthe Gomniissioiier of P'atents. Washington, D. C.

